Student Spotlight - Jeffrey Asiedu-Brako (Microsoft Student Ambassador)
Written on May 18th, 2023 by Naser
This post is part of a student spotlight series highlighting the work of exceptional students. The series aims to facilitate knowledge sharing among students on topics such as internships, jobs, and graduate school. Today, I have the pleasure of talking to Jeffrey Asiedu-Brako, who will tell us about his experience as Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador.
Naser: Can you tell us about the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador program? What do ambassadors do?
Jeffrey: The Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador (MLSA) is an initiative by Microsoft to provide students the opportunity to be part of a large community of change-makers in Tech and Community leadership.
This initiative provides students the opportunity to amplify their impact and establish themselves as mentors and leaders in their various communities while developing technical skills through resources and learning benefits from Microsoft
Ambassadors are on-campus volunteers and leaders who have the passion to help their community grow in technical and digital skills
Naser: How did you become a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador?
Jeffrey: The Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador program is open to all to apply once they meet the eligibility criteria. I was privileged to see posts about MLSA on LinkedIn and that caught my eye, since I had been looking for opportunities to help amplify the kind of impact I have always wanted to make in Tech. I just did a Google search on MLSA, opened the first link that came as a search result which is the official MLSA website and followed the information on the website to begin my application process.
Naser: Can you tell us about the application process? And how did you prepare for it?
Jeffrey: The application to become a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador is quite straightforward. One needs to submit an application form on the official MLSA website: https://studentambassadors.microsoft.com/
Usually every year, Applications are evaluated quarterly. The application basically consists of 5 sections: Personal Info, School Info, Written and Video samples, Additional Information and Technical Skills. The section that needs a great deal of attention is the “Written Sample”. In this section, some essay questions are given which should be answered using write-ups and a video made under 2 minutes. During my application year, one was at liberty to use at least one video in answering all 3 essay topics and so I decided to submit 2 videos and one write-up. But for this year in particular, it was made compulsory to submit just one video in answering any of the topics, with the others being write-ups. Things may change slightly in the years ahead but the good news is, the essay topics do not change and by answering them well, one is set on the path of becoming a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador. The topics are labeled: ‘INSPIRE’, ‘TEACH’ and ‘PROMOTE.’
• INSPIRE: The way to answer this is to show in a much detailed but also concise manner what inspires you about technology and why you would want others to also know about it. It is advisable to be realistic, honest and passionate in one’s answer. You can talk about how technology fascinates you and the fact that you always derive joy in sharing your technological knowledge to others.
• TEACH: ‘How would you take a technical concept and teach it to people who have no idea about it?’. The task is to choose a technical topic, one that you are quite familiar with and would definitely be able to explain and break down to non-techies in a simple way with little to no technical jargon. Since applications nowadays have a limit of just one video, I advise that the video be utilized at this portion. It is a chance for the one to review the application to see how best you are able to impart knowledge no matter the technical complexity.
• PROMOTE: Here, the task is to show how one can promote his or her event either on-campus (on-site) or online. Student Ambassadors are required to be creative in promoting their events and getting people on board.
Personally, I asked people who were already Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors on how I could approach these questions. I then took my time to answer the questions as best as I could; not in a rush. I also gave others the opportunity to read through my essays and watch my recordings and from make, I made adjustments where necessary.
Naser: What kind of activities are you involved in as a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador? And what aspects did you find most interesting?
Jeffrey: The most important activity an Ambassador is involved in is to organize events to share technological knowledge. But aside from that, there are also the opportunities to take part in Weekly and Monthly calls with other Ambassadors worldwide on Microsoft Teams for purposes of networking, skill-building among others.
On our campus, a friend of mine who is a fellow Ambassador liaised with the Technology Committee of the Electrical/Electronic Engineering Department with the purpose of organizing Training sessions in Python, Web Design, Git and Github, Personal Branding on LinkedIn as well as short Embedded Systems sessions using Arduino microcontrollers. We have had the opportunity to work with other organizations like TME Education right on campus to reach a much wider audience.
One very important activity I cannot leave out is the ever-amazing Imagine Cup which is organized yearly. This is an awesome competition that gives Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors the opportunity to collaborate with one another in various teams, build technological solutions and win great prizes. Aside from the cash prizes involved, Winners of these competitions gain mentorship opportunities with Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella.
Personally, the aspect of the various activities that I have found most interesting is the opportunity I have had in reaching out to K12 students and teaching them programming. I love how they are able to pick up concepts so fast and how creative they are.
Naser: What tips would you give students interested in becoming Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors? You can mention any details that you like, including websites and other resources.
Jeffrey: Here are a few tips to anyone out there who wants to become a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador:
• Be honest and express your passion for community involvement and willingness to help others build their skills.
• There is an ‘Optional’ section in the application. I have observed that most people ignore this section but it can be greatly utilized to boost one’s application. If you have some community involvement in the past, this would be a great place to share. And if you have had some achievements which you think will be of benefit to your application, it will be great to add it here also.
• It is extremely important to note that the application can be started and saved till one is entirely ready to officially submit. What this means is that there is no need to rush. Make sure to take your time to go through the application, write good essays and submit an awesome application.
• If you have worked on some technical projects, it would be great to push them to GitHub, and include a link to your GitHub profile in the “Additional Info” session which asks for your internet presence and activity. A good LinkedIn profile would also be a great plus.
• Finally, people who are already Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors have the privilege to also Nominate others as Student Ambassadors. Thus, if you know anyone who is an Ambassador, you can talk to him/her to also nominate you as you also put in your application.
Naser: Thank you for sharing your experience, Jeffrey. It was great hearing about being a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador, and I am sure others will find your experience motivating and beneficial in their journey.
Jeffrey: My pleasure!
